Security cameras are a personal preference; It is understandable that many people do not like the idea of being monitored in their homes. But these devices offer useful features like monitoring pets, monitoring your home when you're away, or catching someone sneaking around your backyard after dark.
The new Flicker Mini 2 ($39.99) It is a solid and affordable wired security camera that can be used indoors or outdoors to handle all of these scenarios. While there are a couple of wired cameras at this price with more features, Blink's latest offering, which just launched this week, ticks a lot of boxes. It's especially great if you have a smart home with Amazon Alexa or have already invested in Blink's affordable line of battery-powered cameras.
Blink made a name for itself with its affordable battery-powered cameras, which can last up to two years on two AAs. The company now offers three mains-powered models: the Blink Mini (1 and 2); the flashing wired reflector camera; and the Blink Video Doorbell (which can be wired or battery operated).
Blink's custom chip sets it apart from many other manufacturers. The company has developed super energy-efficient silicon and a recent update added computer vision (CV) on the device. This enables people detection, which is found in the company's newest cameras: Floodlight; the Mini 2; and the new battery-powered Blink Outdoor 4 camera ($120). (Person detection requires a Blink subscription.)
The Mini 2 is a follow-up to the Blink Mini, which replaced Amazon's indoor Cloud Cam in 2022 after the retail giant bought Blink in 2017, and brings more to the table. Updates include indoor/outdoor compatibility, a new spotlight, on-device person detection, and USB-C power.
There's a wider field of view than the original Mini (143 degrees vs. 110), improved image quality, better low-light performance, and a sleeker design. Additionally, there is still the local storage option by adding with a $50 Blink Sync Module 2 and a USB stick (the module is not necessary to use the camera, only if you want local storage).
A tiny camera, the Mini 2 can fit virtually anywhere. I tested it in my chicken coop at the end of my garden, in my backyard, and in my office and kitchen, and it delivered crisp, clear video in all locations throughout the day. Infrared night vision was fair, but spotlight-enabled color night vision was very grainy.
The Mini's motion and people notifications are super fast, but there are no rich notifications, which is a shame. Blink says this is due to its Early notification feature, designed to alert you as quickly as possible so you can access a live view while the action is still happening. Personally, I prefer rich notifications with a snapshot of the action.
The two-way audio still has a bit of static, a problem with all the Blink cameras I've tested. But it has improved a lot over the original Mini.
Blink has an excellent mounting system, and the Mini 2's spherical base makes it easy to adjust the angle and position of the camera even after you've screwed the base to a wall or ceiling. You could also place it on a flat surface without the base, which meant you could place it wherever you wanted. It is the smallest camera I have tested so far.
The Mini 2 is also one of the least expensive security cameras you can buy, both out of the box and for cloud storage (just $3 a month; Ring is now $5 a month, and Arlo and Google Nest start at $8). The addition of weather resistance (IP65 rating) makes it infinitely more useful, but you'll need to pay more for the Flashing Weatherproof Power Adapter, which is about 13 feet long. Sold separately or in a camera package for $49.98.
The Blink Mini 2 works with the Blink app with features like customizable activity and privacy zones and two-way talk. The app is pretty basic but has plenty of customization options and schedules that allow you to arm and disarm your cameras (something you have to pay for with Ring).
Camera shake sensitivity is good, almost too good. Without enabling people detection, I received alerts when the lights on one of my smart light strips changed color in my office. Adjusting the sensitivity helped a little, but you need people detection if you don't want to be inundated with notifications. It's helpful that you can snooze motion alerts.
If, like many people, you don't want to spend $3 a month, you can still receive motion alerts to let you know if something is happening at home. But you can't detect a person without paying.
You can also record video locally with a Sync Module 2 to avoid those cloud storage fees, but that's an extra $50, you won't get people detection without a subscription, and you're limited to how long you can see a live view; with a subscription, it's up to 90 minutes.
The camera works with Amazon's Echo smart displays to view live streams and I can get a view on my Echo Hub in a few seconds. It can also be set to announce motion or person detection on Echo speakers, but is not compatible with other smart home platforms.
The Mini's closest competitors are models from Wyze and TP-Link, which have indoor and outdoor cameras with smart alerts and local storage with a built-in microSD card for under $40: Wyze with its $36 Wyze Cam v3 and TP-Link with Tapo's $40 C120 Indoor/Outdoor Wired Camera.
Considering Wyze's recent security issues, Tapo is the better option of the two. It also has better features than the Mini 2: 2K video, dual spotlights, and free smart alerts for people, pets, and vehicles. Plus, there's sound detection for barking dogs, crying babies, and meowing cats, making it potentially more useful than Blink, especially as an indoor camera.
Personally, I'm not a big fan of indoor cameras, and as a wired outdoor option, the Blink worked better for me than the Tapo, streaming video from my chicken coop at the bottom of the garden more reliably. The Mini is also the smaller of the two cameras, comes in black or white, and has a longer exterior power cord with a weatherproof plug (although it costs more). But Tapo works with Google Home and Samsung SmartThings, making it a better option if you use those platforms.
Overall, the Blink Mini 2 is a great upgrade to a popular and affordable security camera. It's very easy to set up and use, and its mounting system is one of the simplest and most flexible I've used.
Using this outdoors and reducing notification noise with person detection, all without spending less than $50, are big improvements over the Mini 1. Video quality (both day and night) and audio are noticeably better than the Mini 1. But zoom is still limited and I'd like to see more smart alerts for things like animals and vehicles; Sound detection would be great too.
My two biggest issues are that the Blink app is unintuitive and has limited smart home integrations. While the app has plenty of customization options, it feels clunky and dated, especially compared to the excellent app from its sister company, Ring. I would love to be able to use Blink cameras in the Ring app. The Blink Mini 2 is also locked to the Amazon ecosystem, with no support for Google Home or Samsung SmartThings (although Blink is compatible with IFTTT).
But if you use Alexa and/or other Blink cameras or are just looking for a simple security camera for a specific purpose and don't need super high resolution, it's a good, versatile and affordable option.
Photos and screenshots by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge
